HONG KONG: Hong Kong will include children aged five and above in its COVID-19 vaccine pass scheme from the end of September, the government said on Thursday (Sep 9), as authorities try to boost inoculation levels there. People aged 12 and above currently need to show proof of vaccination toContinue Reading
MANILA: The Philippine senate launched an investigation on Thursday (Sep 8) to identify culprits behind large-scale phishing scams where millions of text messages have been sent to mobile users to try and steal passwords for fraudulent transactions. The country’s two biggest telecoms providers have said they blocked more than 1Continue Reading
ISLAMABAD: Former Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan said he “regrets” comments he made about a magistrate in a rally speech, but stopped short of a full apology ahead of a court appearance on Thursday (Sep 8) where he faces a contempt hearing. The hearing is the latest twist in monthsContinue Reading
TAIPEI: A representative from Taiwan will attend the state funeral of slain former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe this month, but the government is still discussing whom to send, the Taiwanese foreign ministry said on Thursday. Abe, the longest-serving leader in modern Japan, was fatally shot at close range duringContinue Reading
NAJIB IN ISOLATION CELL FOR HIS SAFETY: REPORT Meanwhile, Utusan Malaysia reported on Thursday that Najib was placed in an isolation cell in Kajang Prison for his own safety as former prime minister. The Malay daily quoted a prison source as saying that the isolation cells are equipped with theContinue Reading
ZURICH: Switzerland has summoned the Chinese ambassador to express concern about the human rights situation in the western region of Xinjiang, the foreign ministry in Bern said on Thursday (Sep 8). “Switzerland is convinced that the best way to safeguard its interests and the respect of fundamental rights is toContinue Reading
BEIJING: Rain, flash floods and mudslides threatened the search for dozens of people still missing on Thursday (Sep 8), days after a strong earthquake rocked mountainous southwest China, killing at least 82. The magnitude 6.6 quake hit about 43km southeast of the city of Kangding in Sichuan province at aContinue Reading
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia’s central bank raised its benchmark interest rate for the third straight meeting on Thursday (Sep 8), as it looks to tame rising inflation. Bank Negara Malaysia lifted its overnight policy rate by 25 basis points to 2.50 per cent, as expected by 19 of 20 economists polledContinue Reading
TOKYO: Japan’s prime minister said on Thursday (Sep 8) he accepted criticism that he had not sufficiently explained why he wants a state funeral for slain former premier Shinzo Abe, a decision that has dented his support that has slipped to its lowest ever. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s decision toContinue Reading
POLITICAL CRISIS Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s emphatic win in July’s upper house elections – days after Abe’s shooting – was supposed to tighten his grip on the LDP, still dominated by the ex-premier’s supporters. Instead, revelations over LDP links to the church and his decision to grant Abe, Japan’s longest-servingContinue Reading